Rivalries & Top Games to Attend

The Backyard Brawl

Rival Team: West Virginia Mountaineers

This rivalry between West Virginia and Pitt is fueled by the two schools proximity as both schools are separated by only 75 miles along I-79. The Backyard Brawl is the 14th oldest rivalry in college football having first been played in 1895, which was won an 8-0 West Virginia shutout. Pitt has made up for that initial defeat by taking a 21 game lead in the all-time series, which is 61-40-3 in their favor. One of the most famous Backyard Brawls occurred in December of 2007 when the 4-7 Panthers upended the number 2 ranked Mountaineers 13-9 crushing West Virginia’s national championship aspirations. The Panthers will hope to continue to get the best of their bitter rivals in the upcoming years.

Pitt vs Penn

Rival Team: Penn State Nitanny Lions

The Panthers and Nittany Lions have been battling for Keystone state supremacy since 1893 when Penn State beat Pitt 32-0. Pitt has fared better in the meetings since then. However, they still trail the overall series 50-42-4. The rivalry was once regarded as the fiercest in the northern half of the country. However, the rivalry lost a bit of steam recently as it has been dormant from 2000 to 2016. The Panthers will look to rekindle their rivalry against the Nittany Lions with a victory at Heinz Field in 2016.

Pitt vs Notre Dame

Rival Team: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Pitt is Notre Dame’s fifth most played an opponent and as such, they have developed quite the rivalry with the Fighting Irish. The two teams first met in 1909 and Notre Dame holds the lead in the all-time series 47-21-1. Recently both schools have joined the ACC with the Panthers winning their only meeting so far in 2013.

Pitt vs Syracuse

Rival Team: Syracuse Orange

Pitt and ‘Cuse first met in 1916 and had played each other every year since 1955. The Panthers won the first meeting 30-0 and have taken control of the series since developing a 36-31-3 lead all-time. Pitt will look to extend their two-game winning streak over the Orange when the two teams meet this year.

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Fast facts

League: NCAA Football

Team:Panthers

Head Coach: Pat Narduzzi

Team Mascot: Roc the Panther

Year Opened:2001

Capacity:68400

City / State:Pittsburgh / Pennsylvania

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